Containers



March 21, 1961 A. Y. scHuLTz CONTAINERS Filed 0013. 14, 1957 I z l z 1 az z I I I I I l I l l I I l FIG. 2

FIG. I

ATTORNEY CONTAINERS Abraham Y. Schultz, 915` Gay Ave., University City,Mo.` Filed Oct. 14, 1957, Ser. No. 689,917

4 Claims. (Cl. 15-563) This invention relates in general to liquiddispensing and, more particularly, to a container adapted to hold liquidand having an applicator associated therewith.

Many types of liquids, such as shoe polish, household cleaners,coatings, solvents, and the like, are packed in containers of differentsizes for various industrial and commercial purposes. Frequently, suchcontainers are not provided with applicators, in which case it isnecessary to pour the liquid onto a suitable cloth before the liquid canbe applied to a working surface. The use of separate cloths or rags isoften quite messy and, frequently, in using the cloth, a certain amountof the liquid is' spilled and wasted. Furthermore, it is often quitedifi'icult to saturate the rag with a uniform amount ofliquid so as toapply such liquid evenly to a working surface and, moreover, itfrequently happens that a cleaning rag is unavailable. However, somecontainers do come equipped with applicators of one sort or another, butoften these applicator-s` become oversaturated with the liquid,resulting in loss of liquid due to dripping and splashing. One suchcommon type of applicator consists of a swab mounted on one end of arod, the other end of which is attached to the cap of the container. In

` using this type of applicator, it is a common expedient to wipe ordrain the swab at the mouth of the container, but such practice does notalways insure removal of excess liquid from the applicator.

It is, therefore, one of the objects of the present invention to providea container having an absorbent, dripfree applicator associatedtherewith; t

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a containerhaving an applicator associated therewith wherein the applicator doesnot become fully saturated With liquid in the container and therebyprevents loss of liquid due to spilling and splashing.

It is an additional object of the present invention to provide acontainer having an applicator associated therewith in which theapplicator is capable of absorbing a predeterrnined amount of liquidfrom within the container.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a containerprovided with an applicator of the type stated which prevents wastefulloss of liquid.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention resides in thenovel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination ofparts presently described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings (three sheets):

Fig. 1 is an exploded longitudinal sectional view of a containerconstructed in accordance with and embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an exploded longitudinal sectional view showing anothermodified form of the present invention; and

Fig. 3 is an exploded longitudinal sectional view showing anothermodified form of the present invention.

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to thedrawings, which illustrate practical embodiments of the presentinvention, A designates a container,

* Patent i ice 2 such as a |glass bottle, comprisng a generallycylindrical bottom member 42, a cup-like section 4.3, a constricted neckportion 44, an aperture 45, and a Sponge-like insertA 46.

The Sponge-like insert 46 is provided in its lower portion with arelatively thin downwardly 'depending wicl; 47 which extends into theliquid within the bottom member 42. This container A is particularlywell suited for volatile deodorizing liquids, such as the diluteperfumed formaldehyde solutions commouly sold under such trade names asAir Wick and the like. The container A is provided with a cap member 34including a cork stopper 35 which fits snugly into the cup-like section43 and compresses the Sponge-like insert 46. When the cap 34 isinserted, the cork stopper 35 compresses the`l Sponge-like insert 46and, in effect, evacuates the interstitial spaces therein. Consequently,when the cap 34' is removed and the cork stopper 35' withdrawn, thecompressive force on the Sponge-like insert 46 is released and liquid isdrawn up thereinto for dissemination into the atmosphere through theexposed top portion.

In use, the container A is filled with a suitable liquid L, such aspolish, cleaning solvent, and the like, and, thereafter, the oversizedSponge-like insert or applicator 46 is placed within the cup-likesection 43; whereupon, the cap 34 is threaded on the cup-like section43, compressing the Sponge-like applicator 46 tightly within thecup-like section 43. The bottle or container A is then up-ended for afew moments, causing the liquid L to flow through the aperture or port45 and saturate the compressed applicator 46. Since the applicator 46 iscompressed, it will absorb much less liquid than its normal capacity.

After the bottle A 'has been up-ended for a few moments to allow theapplicator 46 to absorb as much liquid as possible in its compressedcondition, the bottle A is then turned back to the upright position,whereupon, any excess liquid L not absorbed by the applicator 46 willdrain down along the arcuate wall into the bottom mem ber 42. The cap 34is then removed, permitting the applicator 46 to expand so as to assumethe position shown in Fig. 1, at which'tirne the applicator 46 becomesabout half-saturated due to the fact that the expanded applicator 46 nowhas a much greater volumetric capacity than it had when it wascompressed. Consequently, the applicator 46 will additionally absorb anyresidual drops of liquid which may not have drained down out of thecup-like section 43 and, furt'hermore, the expanded condition of theapplicator 46 prevents dripping. By properly selecting the porosity andnormal size of the applicator 46 in relation to the volumetric size ofthe cup-like section 42 and the viscosity of theV liquid with which itis to be used, it is easily possible to have the applicator 46 retainjust the right amount of liquid for covering the object to which theliquid is to be applied. If, for example, the liquid is shoe polish, theapplicator 46 and other associated elements would be such that theapplicator 46 would retain just enough shoe polish to polish one pair ofshoes without dripping or splashing. Moreover, since the amount ofexpansion and contraction of the applicator 46 is substantially constanteach time the cap 34 is placed on, and removed from, the cup-likesection 43, the applicator 46 will soak up the predetermined quantity ofliquid each time, regardless of the level of liquid in the lowerreceptacle or bottom portion 42.

It is also possible to provide still another from of container B, asshown in Fig. 2, comprising a cylindrical bottom member 48, a cup-likesection 49, a constricted neck portion 50, an aperture 51, and a Spongeapplicator 52, all similar to the corresponding elements of thecontainer A previously described. However, disposed snugly within theaperture 51 in the manner of a floor, so to speak, for the cup-likesection 49 is an absorbent or cellular cone 53 having a depending wiek54, which se7rves thesame function as-the previously described wick.It.is. lso possible to provide still another form ,of con-t ia'iner Ccomprising a cylindrical bottom member 55,1.a cup-like section-56, -aconstrictedneckportion .57, lan aperture-58 andia sponge applicator. 59,all similar to the lcorresponding'elements of the container A previouslydescribed. Ho-Wever, the. Sponge applicator 59 is int'egrally providedin its lower portion with a downwardly extending constricted neck whichextends through and fits .within the constricted neck Vportion 57 andflares out to provide a retainer button 60 which holds the spongeapplcator 59 in'place. This type of container C Vcan be veryusefullyadapted .to the holding and dispensing of liquids, such as shoepolish, .in which case when the cap is removed, the container can beup-ended and liquid can be dispensed, using the sponge applicator 59 inthe manner of a dauber. i It should be understood that tions in theform, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts ofthe containers may be made and substituted for those herein shown anddescribed without departing from the nature and principle of myinvention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. A hollow container having substantially cylindrical rigid walls andcomprising an upper chamber-forming section having an open upper end, alower chamberforming section in downwardly spaced relation to said uppersection, an annular neck for separating said Sections, said neck beingprovided with an aperture adapted to provide communication between saidSections, a resilient compressible porous element snugly disposed insaid upper section and having a normal volume substantially greater thanthat of said upper section, a wick integral with said porous element,said wick projecting through said aperture and into said lowerchamber-forming section, and a removable stopper sized for frictionalretentive contact against the inside of said upper section and adaptedto compress said porous element to cause said element to lie whollywithin saidiupper section.

' 2. A hollow rigid walled container having an upper chamber-formingsection having an open upper end and provided with an annular side wall,said section also having an annular bottom wall integral With said sidewall, a lower chamber-forming section having a top wall spaceddownwardly from said bottom wall and being joined thereto by an annularconnectng neck of smaller diameter than said bottom wall and top wall,said neck having an aperture for providing communication between saidSections, a resilient compressibleV porous element disposed in saidupper section Vand having a normal volume substantially greater thanthat of said upper section, said porous element being in snug-fittingengagement with the bottom wall and the annular side wall provided withan annular side wall, said section also having an annular bottom wallintegral with said side wall, a lower chamber-forming section having atop wall spaced downwardly from said bottom wall and being joinedthereto by an annular connecting neck of smaller changes and modificasdiameter than said bottom wall and top wall, said neck having anaperture for providing communication between said Sections, a resilientcompressible porous element disposed in said upper section and having anormal volume substantiallyv greater than that of said upper section,said porous element including a wick-fo'rming element projectingdownwardly from said porous element, said wick-formng element alsoprojecting loosely through said aperture and being of such length thatthe lower end thereof rests on the bottom of said lower section, andclosure-forming means 4for compressing the porous element while snuglydisposed in the upper end.

4. A hollow container comprising a base, a continuous wall integrallyconnected to said base and projecting upwardly therefrom, said wallincluding a first section which defines a lower chamber and a secondsection which defines an upper chamber, said wall also including fanintermediate section which is substantially smaller than and integrallyconnected to the first and second sections whereby to provide aneck-like communicating passage between the chambers, a resilientlcornpressible porous element having a normal volume su'bstantiallygreater than thatof the upper chamber and being snugly seated 'in saidupper chamber with the excess volume projecting upwardly and outwardlyfrom the upper chamber, said lower chamber containing a liquid, wickmeans for establishing direct communication between the porous elementand the liquid, and closurc-forming means removably mounted on the upperportion of the wall Whereby When the closure-forming means is on thecontainer the element is compressed in the upper chamber, and when theclosure-forming means is removed the element naturally expands causingthe liquid to 'be drawn upwardly along the wiek means into the porouselement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

